Everyone wants to shoot the puck, but it takes a special player to stop it! Here's how!

The Goalie Guru blog, and all its linked materials, is offered as a one-stop resource to assist ice hockey goaltenders, their coaches and parents (realizing that the latter two are often one and the same) in gaining a better understanding of this truly unique position. Comments, questions, and suggestions welcomed! Reach me at 978-609-7224, or brionoc@verizon.net.

Thursday, June 5, 2014

Summer fun that prepares you for the first puck drop

Mountain biking is a great summer option for goalies.

Hi gang,

Hard to believe that June has arrived, and that the start of summer camps is just around the corner. Although I love working summer camps -- Really, is there any better place to be on a hot, sticky day than an ice rink? -- I always approach the season with just a little apprehension. That's because I think kids need a summer vacation from hockey almost as much as they do from schoolwork.

As a result, my approach to summer camps and clinics is to keep them light and a little less serious. It's a mental break as much as anything. We'll work hard, but in short bursts, and without the pressures of winning and losing. And the rest of the time, I want my younger goalies branching out, pursuing other activities, and playing different sports. Here are a few thoughts on the topic, originally written for the New England Hockey Journal and the New York Hockey Journal. Let me know what you think ...

##

Summer fun that prepares you for the first puck drop

Old-timers like myself vividly remember
the days when goalies were mercilessly stereotyped. Not only were we
thought to be a few cents short of a dollar, but we were the big,
slow (and often overweight) kids who couldn't keep up with the game,
so we got stuck between the pipes. And, like most stereotypes, this
one is a combination of fact and fiction.

Much like today, there were kids in my
day (growing up in the 1960s and '70s) who absolutely loved playing
goal, who were more than willing to take on the challenge of stopping
an entire team from scoring. Those of us enamored with the position
were usually in pretty decent shape, because we were driven not just
to be goalkeepers, but good goalkeepers.

Likewise, there were also plenty of
kids who found a sort of refuge in the nets, dumpy kids who just
wanted to be part of the action despite not being particularly
gifted. And they could could away with it, for two reasons. One, you
didn't need to be a great athlete, or in great shape; you just needed
a relatively high pain threshold. Two, the rest of the kids were
happy to have anyone with a pulse put on the pads.

There will always be kids who gravitate
to goal, but the ones who do so because they think it requires less
effort, and less fitness, are in for a rude awakening. Those days –
like my cherished youth – are long, long gone. From the way the
game is played (think 100-yard dash, instead of a Sunday jog) to the
way we teach the position, goalies need to be fit. Notice I didn't
say "great athletes." Of course, that helps. But a
youngster with the desire and requisite physical fitness can
accomplish great things between the pipes.

On the other hand, come June, kids need
a break. Playing hockey – especially goalie – 12 months a year
concerns me a little. I think of Jack Nicholson's Jack Torrance
character in "The Shining," with his obsessive "All
work and no play makes Jack a dull boy" mantra. Talk about
scary. I believe it's really important to have an off-season, to
recharge our batteries, to work different muscle groups and learn
different skills. To have fun.

So, with school out for summer and the
start of a new hockey season at least three months away, here are a
few of my favorite off-ice activities to ensure that you'll get the
break you need, but ready to go when the puck drops in the fall. One
important point regarding team sports, such as lacrosse and soccer –
don't play goal. Again, give your mind, and your nerves, a vacation.
It's summer, after all.

Mountain biking

For my money, the best off-season
exercise comes with two knobby tires underneath you. Mountain biking
is a full-body workout, improving stamina, explosive power, reflexes,
balance, and proprioception (body awareness). Plus, it's a hoot to
play in the dirt. Just remember, I'm not suggesting a casual little
pedal along a rail trail. If you want to get the greatest benefit,
hit the singletrack. The tighter and more technical the terrain, the
better. Toss in some vertical, which will really build your quad
strength and lung capacity, and your on-ice workouts will seem like a
snap by comparison (Interesting side note: I was recently listening
to an NHL Classic broadcast of the 1993 Stanley Cup playoffs, with
color analyst John Davidson talking about how Kings goalie Kelly
Hrudy got super fit by mountain biking in the hills outside of Los
Angeles).

Tennis

Lateral quickness, instincts, reading
the play, superior footwork, hand-eye coordination, mercurial bursts
of action, endurance, a willingness to battle for every point? Sounds
a lot like goaltending to me. Of all my suggested summer pursuits,
tennis is probably the closest corollary to playing goal. The best
part is you only need one other person (and a court) to really work
up a good sweat. Racquetball and squash are terrific options as well,
but since this is summer, and I'm an outdoor fanatic, the nod goes to
tennis.

Basketball

I love hoops. The game rewards skill,
athleticism, hustle, peripheral vision, teamwork, and tough defense.
In basketball, if you can't keep up, you get left behind. Period.
That's how I want my goalies to think. They need to be in the same
shape as their teammates, if not better. Plus, I love the critical
thinking skills that basketball develops. You've got to process a lot
of information in a hurry, and act on it.

Lacrosse

Hockey's off-ice cousin, lacrosse has
all the attributes of hoops, with the added element of a lacrosse
stick and (in some instances) a lot more physicality. But, as I said
earlier, think twice about playing goalie. I have a neighbor who
plays goal in both hockey and lacrosse, and I'm just a tad concerned
he'll burn out. It hasn't happened yet (and I hope it doesn't), but I
prefer hockey goalies get out and run in the off-season. Play
forward. Score some goals!

Soccer

Those who mock soccer can't play it. In
reality, the world's best soccer players make the game look
ridiculously easy (much like the world's best hockey goaltenders).
But the skill and footwork required to play the game at a high level
is exceptional. Don't believe me? Just try it. I have a coaching
colleague who constantly ridicules soccer, so I've invited him to
come play with my group of Over-50 geezers. I've repeated the offer
several times over the past few years, but he won't step up. Why? I
suspect he knows just how difficult this sport is. So will you, once
you try it. But stick with it. The rewards are tremendous.

Baseball

It saddens me to see our national
pastime falling by the wayside in many parts of the country, in large
part because of the rising popularity of lacrosse. But it's a great
game, and if you're a goaltender, there are several positions that
are ideal. I played third base, and I loved the hot corner. It
teaches you patience, because you need to be alert on every single
pitch, or you risk getting your head split open. If you want to be
more involved, and really employ some of your goaltending talents,
consider picking up the "tools of ignorance" and playing
catcher. Is it any surprise the Vancouver goaltender Cory Schneider
was also a top-notch backstop for his Philips Andover high school
team?

Yoga

This isn't just for old guys (and
gals). Athletes of every age can benefit from the flexibility,
strength, discipline, and core balance that yoga offers. This is a
low-impact exercise (unlike most of the others mentioned above), so
it's joint friendly. And if you're friendly to your joints now,
they'll repay the favor later on.

Last, if you get a chance to skate,
skate out. Put on regular skates, and pick up a regular stick. You'll
see the game from an entirely different perspective, which is
refreshing. You'll use different parts of your body, and, more
importantly, different parts of your brain. Similar to my belief that
positional players should don goaltending gear at least a couple of
times to appreciate what netminders deal with, I think goalies should
rub elbows in the corners and find out just how difficult the game
can be for positional players.

Minding the nets

The Guru

Welcome to my world, which primarily revolves around family, friends, sports of all stripes, and a passion for the written word! I'm a Boston-based freelance writer and editor, husband, father, hockey and soccer coach, and an unrepentant sports nut. And, like a lot of folks who refuse to grow up, I'm torn between Old School and "old's cool!" It's all about your perspective, and staying in the game.